Former BIMM student Ella Mai has had herself a fantastic 2018. She recently became the first British artist in 26 years to score a No.1 single on the US R&B chart and was hand-picked by Bruno Mars to join him as a support act on his 24K Magic tour finale. She also just signed a global record deal with Sony/ATV. Now, the young star has received one of the music industry’s most prestigious accolades – a Grammy Award nomination.

The 61st Grammy Award ceremony will take place in February 2019 at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, presenting awards in categories such as Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Metal Performance, Best Music Video and Best Producer.

Ella’s highly anticipated self-titled debut album opened at number five on the Billboard 200 chart on its release in October 2018 and featured cameo appearances from the likes of RCA Records’ H.E.R and R&B star John Legend.

Positive reviews and high profile celebrity fans have further cemented Ella’s status as a rising star in the U.S. And now, with recognition from the BBC as part of their Sound oF 2019 long-list, it looks like she’ll soon gain more recognition on this side of the Atlantic.

We wish Ella the very best of luck at the awards ceremony and huge success with her upcoming tour, which takes her across the UK, Europe and America in early 2019.